Fiction With a Dark Side

Zerah’s Offering by Isabelle Santiago

September 23, 2011

Zerah's Offering by Isabelle Santiago.

When Amaya wakes, with only the memory of her world’s apocalyptic destruction, she is surprised to find herself alone in a world deceptively similar to her own. But there’s so much about Zerah that’s changed.

The Holy Grounds are gone. The Temple destroyed. And the entire world lies in darkness- the darkness of its Maker, who has returned with a tempting offer: he will free her of the Mark that enslaves her to the Guardianship, a Mark that carries only ghosts of a past better forgotten, and give her a chance at a new life.

All it will cost is her soul.

Full Disclosure: Much thanks to Isabelle Santiago for sending me a review copy! My humblest apologies for the extended wait.

Miss Santiago has outdone herself with this sequel to Zerah’s Chosen. Her elegant style has improved and it packs a powerful emotional punch with every chapter. I remember reading the first book and nearly chocking on all the raw emotions present. The passion only intensifies in Zerah’s Offering, but as always, a few tears are always worth a damn good read. I do believe Zerah’s Offering is a much stronger story but I wouldn’t suggest reading it on it’s own, as it could get very confusing if you don’t know much of the back story.

Amaya wakes to the new Zerah, painfully aware that her actions were the cause of the old world’s destruction. Try as she might, she cannot let go of the past that she and Keiran wrought, nor can she allow herself to make a new life with Pheonix, though that is his heart’s greatest desire. Torn between her past and what she believes she must do to be redeemed, Amaya is asked to take a leap of faith by the one person she never expected to walk back into her life. But she’ll have to deal with everything she’s been running from and refusing to deal with, not to mention the emotions surging like a tidal wave within her at the the though that she might have a second chance with her lost love. But is Keiran even the same person she grew to love all those years ago? And what of Pheonix?

Well, I can tell you one thing, I certainly felt a lot more sympathetic to Pheonix on this go round. Which is not to say that I wasn’t equally sympathetic to Keiran. I feel all the Gaurdians were dealt a really bad set of cards and are just trying to do the best they can to make the most of what they were dealt. But that’s the power of Ms. Santiago’s writing, it’s very affecting and I absolutely cannot wait for the conclusion to this gripping series! I loved seeing how different the characters had become since the last novel but sadly Hanna wasn’t in this book (although I was happy to see Enki!) and I’m very much wondering how she’s changed since their world dissolved to nothing and rose again from the ashes.